The Kings' Flower
by Rene Mai
Summary: When Amaryllis traveled with Alice and Bella to Italy, she was prepared to face vampires and the high chance of death, but she never would've guessed that she was the true mate to the three vampire kings. This story was originally written by the very talented AlbinoWolf37. I loved her story so I adopted it.
1. Prologue

**This story was originally written by the very talented AlbinoWolf37 and she put it up for adoption. I loved her story so much, I asked her if I could take it over, and she consented. I'm rewriting it now, consequently, the story is mine as well hers. ****AlbinoWolf37 has been very kind and supportive. I'm sending her every chapter before I post it so I can get her feedback. If you'd like to see the original, it's still posted. Anyway, I hope you like it! Thank you!**

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_Well, it's too late tonight_  
_To drag the past out into the light_  
_We're one, but we're not the same_  
_We get to carry each other, carry each other_

_One_ U2

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**Prologue**

"_My bountiful winepress." _

That's what Doctor Lemmings used to call me. He'd say it sweetly like it was a term of endearment. He'd then pick me up and hold me in his arms. His claw-like fingers would smooth down my hair and he'd carry me to his bed, wrapping me in blankets so I wouldn't get too cold. He then fed on me through the night, slowly, gnawing at my neck, his icy teeth piercing my jugular.

I was just a little girl so I didn't completely understand. I felt like I was being buried alive. I could feel my heart pounding very fast in my chest, working double time trying to keep the oxygen circulating through my limbs. My arms and legs would become numb, and it was difficult to breathe. I'd get so weak, I couldn't move, and my mind would turn to mush. That's when the cold would set in. Not like the cold of winter where the icy wind blows in your face. No this was different. This cold came from inside and it filled my chest, spreading across my skin, my bones, and my veins. It was the cold of death.

But the coldest thing of all was Lemmings, holding me in his arms, kissing my cheek. He was the only person who ever held me in their arms or whispered sweet things in my ear. I sort loved and hated him all at once.

But then my heart would stop beating and my vision would go black. I'd gasp for air, suffocating, and then my body would just stop. Yet my soul was still in there, screaming, begging to be set free.

It's a hell of a thing dying every other night.

..

My name is Amaryllis. At least that's the name the doctor gave me. I'm not sure how old I really am. I don't have parents. I don't have a home. I may have been human once, but I'm definitely not anymore. At least not really. Yes, my bones break, if you cut me I will bleed, and you can snuff the life out of me. But I always come back. Humans don't do that.

Lemmings liked to use surrogate mothers for his creations, which he purchased from slave traders, but he never told me who my mother was. I suspect she wasn't human. So this basically makes me a Frankenstein monster. Only Lemmings didn't create me from the pieces of dead human corpses. No, he used spliced DNA and different serums to mold me into the perfect blood donor. A creature who could be sucked dry and still live. A creature whose blood was absolutely irresistible to vampires. In effect, he created a new life form.

There were many others like me. We were a motley crew of circus freaks trapped in the world of Doctor Moreau. But Lemmings always told me I was special, his crowning achievement. His secret weapon that he would use to vanquish his enemies.

However, if I was his greatest success than Featherlight was his greatest failure. She refused to do his bidding, no matter how much he beat and tortured her. He couldn't even drink her blood because it mutated and started producing hemocyanin instead of hemoglobin which made it kind of blue. She escaped often, disappearing for days, only to have Lemmings' goons drag her back, fighting and kicking.

Everything that was unhuman about Feather and me, we shared. We were molded and crafted together inside the same womb, sharing consciousness, memories, and nightmares. We could feel each other's pain, detect each other's desires. We shared one eye. She was the right and I was the left. We shared the element of _water_. Lemmings even thought that if one of us perished, the other one would cease to exist. I think that's the only reason the doctor didn't destroy her. Yet while we were one, we were definitely not the same.

Of course, Lemmings preferred me. He was a vampire so he wanted blood, my blood. However, he wasn't like other vampires.

You see, most vampires are beautiful. It's part of their make-up. They use beauty to lure in their prey. But Lemmings was hideous. He had an uncanny intelligence that some might find compelling, but he was almost eighty when he was changed, and this gave him a somewhat thin and gangly look. His fingers were long and thin with fingernails that extended out. His smooth, white vampire skin looked like rubber latex grafted onto a skeleton. His face was gaunt. His eyes were dark hallows with blood-red irises, and he had this mop of long grey hair that looked like spun wool that was unraveling.

He told me once that he paid the vampire that changed him a hundred thousand in gold bullion, a fortune at the time, to change him. But once he was immortal, he ripped the other vampire's head off and took all the money back. Miserly as human, he was even worse as a vampire.

He had a bunch of crony scientists that hung out with him, each trying to top the other. Each planning the other's demise. They were so morally bankrupt and socially depraved, I always felt like I had to go take a bath after being in the same room with them.

And Lemmings was just like them. He was revolting and sadistic, using mind control techniques like disassociation brought on by torture and trauma to get his creatures to do his bidding.

Feather told me it was inevitable that I would kill him and destroy the lab.

_He's scared of you, you know, _she said.

_Are you scared of me too, Feather?_

_Yes._

_You don't need to be. I would never harm you._

_I don't believe you, Amary. You're much too unstable._

Like she had room to talk. It hurt though that she didn't trust me, especially when she knew me better than anyone.

When we all escaped, the survivors banded together, running from Lemmings' crony friends, trying to make a life for ourselves in South Africa

However, Featherlight went her own way. Just like that. She kissed baby Lilith on the forehead and then disappeared without a word.

Yet she's always with me, along with all her nightmares.

The others knew that and it made them uneasy.

I suppose it was inevitable that I would have to leave others too.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 **

I'm going to start off by saying I wasn't looking to find the Volturi, nor was I searching for vampires.

When I first came to the United States, I desperately wanted to blend in. I needed to hide myself in the whirl and rush of humanity as Dracula might say. So I worked hard to get rid of my French-Congolese accent. I moved to Forks, Washington; a place where the gloomy weather matched my mood. I enrolled in High School since the young are the best gages to how society will be in ten years. I needed to learn the lingo and the cultural norms of the United States. I needed to disappear.

Did this work? Hell no. I still stick out like a sore thumb. It's not just my eyes either, which are pretty startling. You see my right eye is dark brown, my true eye color. But the other eye, which I share with Feather, is hazel with bunches of browns, greens, and some blue hidden underneath.

Of course, I could always just laugh this off and say I had heterochromia iridis, which is a condition that gives humans different colored eyes. But my whole persona gave me away. I move differently than humans, I'm pale, and my voice has a strange lilt to it. I even have little strands of blue and green hairs hidden in my long, dark, wavy hair that shows up if I stand in the sunlight, and the little moons at the base of my fingernails, which on regular humans are white, are pale blue. Yes, I dyed my hair and painted my nails. I couldn't hide it though. I was a freak.

Humans are kind of funny though. Even when they notice something is off, they tend to shrug it away. What do they call it, normalcy bias?

Like, for instance, the Cullens. I knew immediately that they were vampires. No human could be that perfectly beautiful and disturbingly pale. Yet nobody at the school ever said a damn thing about it, happily going along on their merry way, oblivious to the dangers around them.

The Cullens were odd though. They all had gold eyes instead of red, which I had never seen before. I learned later this meant they fed on animals. However, this sure as hell didn't stop them from looking at me like I was dinner.

I avoided them.

But then I met Bella Swan. I don't know why I was drawn to her, but I was. Maybe it was her absolute acceptance of me despite my monster tendencies. I was touched by her kindness. She accepted me for who I was. Nobody had ever done that. Nobody. There was something about her too. Something that Dr. Lemmings would have paid top dollar for. She had a strange energy field that surrounded her, which she was completely unaware of.

In fact, Featherlight spotted it right away, saying, She must be blessed. For only the most beloved has an aura like that.

When I saw Edward moving in on Bella, it enraged me. How dare he prey on this innocent spirit!

So I started tracking him with the full intent of killing him. Edward seemed to know it too, and he started watching out for me. I think he was about to confront me. To my surprise though, the Cullens ended up trying to save Bella from another vampire, an asshole by the name of James. He liked to brag that he could track anyone. Well, he certainly found me, and I don't think I was quite what he expected. I actually helped the Cullens bring him down. This created kind of an odd truce.

I also decided maybe Edward really did love Bella.

In truth though, I didn't trust them.

When Edward abandoned Bella shortly after her birthday, she became a shadow of herself, a walking ghost. No one could console her, although I tried. Of course, I'm not very good at this sort of thing. What the hell do I know about love?

When Bella raced off to Italy to prevent Edward from committing suicide, I decided to go with her and Edward's sister Alice.

This is how I met the Volturi.

..

I must admit, walking into the Volturi stronghold with Bella, Edward, and Alice felt like walking into a tomb. The place had a feeling of antiquity about it, and it was huge, cavernous with a domed ceiling and marble columns. It dwarfed us. But the most startling thing was there was no life. No spiders or mice hidden behind the walls. No potted palm or bouquet of flowers. Everything was dead, including our hosts.

To my right sat three regal kings dressed in black and red, seated atop three elegant black thrones encrusted with gold. All their clothes were tailored and expensive, and they all wore a Volturi crest draped around their necks with a gold braided chain.

I knew who they were. Doctor Lemmings used to rant and rave about the Volturi all the time. He hated them. Feather knew of them too and she cursed under her breath, mumbling indecipherable incantations.

Aro sat in the middle, his gaze imperious, his body relaxed with his legs crossed. Of course, he was beautiful. All vampires are beautiful, except Lemmings. He had black midnight hair that flowed down past his shoulders. His skin was chalky white, which contrasted with the milky red of his eyes, and he had a kind of wide-eyed, faraway look that made me think he was little touched. But then maybe that's to be expected after existing for 3000 years.

To Aro's left sat Marcus, slanted in his chair, his long brown hair hanging down somewhat messy and disheveled. He had a look of defeat about him that reminded me of the old homeless men who hung out at the park, looking for handouts and playing checkers. His clothes didn't help either. His jacket had to be at least two hundred years out of fashion and his red-eyed gaze conveyed nothing but misery.

To Aro's right sat Caius, the fiercest king and a man full of contradictions. I say that because his face was startlingly beautiful. He was young-looking and with his white-blond hair, he almost looked angelic. But his eyes were cruel, his body rigid and untouchable. Everything about him screamed domination and raw power. He had a strange bit of fashion about him though, which made me think he was a bit of a fop. For over his dark suit, he wore an intricately designed mandarin red scarf that he wrapped around his neck.

Of course, they all gawked at me like dogs eyeing a bone, their eyes darkening. I was the main course as well as dessert.

Jane, the little doll-like vampire who ushered us into the hall, even looked back at me, her eyes darkening. So everybody wanted a piece of me. What were they going to do? Draw straws to see which lucky bloodsucker got to drain me dry?

I knew I couldn't take them all at once, but I could at least make them sorry for trying.

This made Feather laugh. Who are you fooling? You love it. I remember the secret smile you had when Lemmings used to auction you off to the highest bidder.

Shut up, Feather.

Glancing over at Bella, I could see her clinging onto Edwards' arm. She didn't know it, but with her protective aura, she was in some ways safer than he was. Alice looked like she wanted to bolt, her fingers balled into tight fists, and I was right there with her, looking for a way to escape.

"Sister, sent you out to bring back one, but you come back with two… and some food. Such a clever girl," a young guard said, who I suspected was Jane's twin, Alec.

A deceivingly calming voice rang out. "Ah, what a happy surprise! Bella is alive after all," Aro said with a dazzling smile, walking over to Edward, grabbing his hand. "Isn't that wonderful. I love a happy ending. They are so rare."

Clearly, Aro was reading Edward's mind, but the way he looked over in my direction, made me think he was trying to find out information about me. Edward knew I wasn't quite human. He saw me dig my hand into James' throat and rip out his larynx, but I also had made the mistake of telling them one night when I was tipsy that I had a daughter named Lilith. Something Feather berated me for.

They'll kill her, she warned.

No, we won't let that happen.

I'm not sure Edward believed me though. I look way too young to have a child.

Aro absorbed all this information with a blank look in his eyes. He then turned to Edward. "Her blood appeals to you so much…," he said, gazing at Bella. But then he turned to me, swallowing, "it makes me thirsty."

Aro's eyes stayed on me, looking me up and down, sizing me up. Vampires could usually tell there was something off about me simply by the way I moved, but the way he looked at me was almost like desire. He had a velvet gaze that seemed to go right through me, and he gave a tiny chuckle as he glanced down at the torn and frayed cuffs of my long blue jeans, only to find my painted toenails sticking out.

I hated shoes.

But now I felt awkward, tugging at my tight yellow top, trying to hide my midriff. Aro was so startlingly seductive, it unsettled me. In fact, I was embarrassed. My palms started to sweat and I could feel the blood rushing to my head.

You're attracted to him, Feather whispered.

No, I'm not.

You lie.

"You're quite a soul reader," Aro told Edward. "Although, you can't read Bella's thoughts...nor can you read Amaryllis'," He let go of Edward's hand. "Fascinating!

Marcus tilted his head in concentration. "This waifish girl is very different. While I can clearly see a bond between young Edward and his paramour, I see nothing with this girl, except a strange bond that wraps around her several times and then goes back into herself. I have no idea what this means. It's very odd."

A part of me smiled.

What did you do to hide Lilith?

I hid her with a bond of my own," Feather said with a tiny laugh. "I totally confused him, didn't I?

Yes, you did.

Aro glared at me. "I'd love to see if they are immune to my gifts as well," he stated, turning his attention to Bella. His voice suddenly changed from wistful to deep and powerful as he continued, "Would you do me the honor?" Obviously, his request didn't leave any room to say no.

Bella was hesitant to give him her hand, but she consented, and he clasped it like a lover, encasing it with both his palms. This gesture somewhat took me by surprise, because I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be encased in those hands as well.

Bella obviously did not see it that same way through. She was cringing, which seemed to amuse him. Then a look of confusion crossed over his features. "I see nothing,"

Letting go of Bella's hand, Aro took a step toward me and held out his palm.

Immediately I stepped back, which made his eyes narrow. He had no patience for me.

Can you block him? I asked Feather.

I think so. No powerful emotions though.

That wasn't always so easy. I had a bad temper, but I gave him my hand. His fingers were surprisingly not as cold as I thought they would be, but then again no one had colder hands then Lemmings. His touch unnerved me though. It was so intimate. I know this sounds crazy, but it was almost like a kiss. I couldn't look at him, because it was too revealing. I could feel my heartbeat pounding in my ears, and then he pulled me slightly toward him, so now his face was just inches away.

For a moment he paused and then cocked his head slightly like he was going to bite me, but he didn't. He just stared at me "You have strange and beautiful eyes, my dear," he murmured, somewhat detached as if talking to himself.

I didn't reply. What was I supposed to say, thank you?

His eyes were glassy and he was staring out into space. "How very odd. Your memories are so vague, like shadows and whispers," he said softly. "As if a veil has been draped over your soul. How do you do that?"

"I don't know," I lied.

"I know through Edward's thoughts," Aro continued, "that you are exceptionally gifted with incredible strength and speed. Clearly, you are much more than human. Yet you have the blood of a human."

"Maybe I'm a mutant," I said flippantly.

"I see." His eyes narrowed. "So your goal is to be evasive. You do realize we have ways of making you more forthcoming…unpleasant ways."

"Yes," I said flatly.

A strange smile came to his face. "I must admit, I cannot help but admire you for this. You would make an excellent vampire. I wonder if… your daughter has such abilities."

Fuck you!

I didn't say the words aloud, but Aro clearly picked up on this, because his eyes widened and his expression turned cold. I yanked my hand out of his grip.

What did I tell you? No powerful emotions.

Aro's response was to grab me by my head with both hands and he pulled me to him, his expression cold as ice. "If I were you," he said very softly in my ear, "I would be very careful."

The sudden violence of this act jarred me for a moment, but I'd be damned if I'm going to be some vampire's plaything ever again. I met his gaze and whispered very softly, "Fuck you."

He let me go and wiped his hands as if I was dishrag and walked away. He then put his hands up to his lips as if in prayer. After a few steps, he stopped. "I wonder...let us see if they are immune to all our powers shall we, Jane?"

In that instant, Edward yelled out, "No," and tried to get in front of Bella. I actually wasn't that worried about her, for I knew with that force field surrounding her, Jane wouldn't be able to touch her. However, Edward wasn't untouchable, and Jane dropped him to the floor and made him twist in agony.

Caius gloated, clearly enjoying this. But Aro watched me as if puzzling over my lack of concern. But I had no feelings for Edward. He was the dumbass that got us into this situation and put Bella in danger.

Bella loved him though, and she cried out. "Stop please, stop hurting him."

Aro stopped Jane by just saying her name and then signaled her to use her power towards us.

Jane smirked and her evil eyes landed on Bella. "This might hurt a little."

Bella cringed and nodded, waiting for the pain. But it never came.

Jane's smirk slowly disintegrated and she turned to me.

The only thing is, I smirked right back. This little baby girl vampire did not scare me. I knew Featherlight would protect me. However, my attitude did not go unnoticed.

"Your arrogance astounds me, girl" Caius grumbled, and I turned to him surprised.

I didn't even know he was watching me, but now I definitely knew. He looked like he wanted to hang me up by my toes, and what was so funny was that it was obviously quite personal for him, as if my lack of deference to Jane was an insult to him. It almost made me laugh out loud, which would have really pissed him off.

His fierceness though somewhat turned me on. I hate to admit it, but I'm attracted to ruthless men. Feather used to tell me I was turned on by fear, but maybe I'm just a little bit of a masochist. All those years with Lemmings fucked with my head. Now I was actually skirting the idea of what it would be like to fuck him. I almost thought he was thinking the same thing.

All this made Aro laugh, and he clapped his hands excitedly. "Remarkable. They confound us all. So…. what do we do with them now?"

Marcus spoke up in a bored tone. "You already know what you are going to do with them, Aro."

"They know too much. They're a liability," Caius snarled.

I knew it then they were going to kill us. Of course, I didn't worry about me. I always come back, but I did worry about Bella. I didn't want anything to happen to her.

I needed water for my powers to work right, and there was absolutely none around me, at least not in liquid form. But there was some in the air. Tuscany is humid this time of year, and I could feel it in the chamber. A certain mugginess hung heavy about the room. So I started to freeze it, letting it condensate on the walls.

Aro didn't even notice. He just slumped his shoulders. "That's true," he responded to the other two kings in feigned sadness, "Felix."

Edward didn't even give Felix a chance to move. He flipped Bella behind him and then pounced on the massive guard tossing him across the room. Felix jumped right back up and slammed him to the ground.

Bella watched this in horror, her hands flailing in front of her. Of course, she was having trouble seeing the fight because they were moving too fast. I had problems seeing it all as well, but I could feel the temperature dropping in the chamber. Dew started to drip and bead on the walls around me.

Aro was studying me, as if curious to see what I was going to do. But then he noticed the walls and looked around in confusion. He turned back to me.

Yes, that's me, asshole, and I think I have enough water now.

Freezing the drops, I pulled them toward me in a whirl of snowflakes, letting them swirl around the room and then I shot icicle shards into all my enemies' eyes.

Aro shrieked in pain, covering his eyes with his hands.

Jane screamed, crying out, "Get it out! Get it out!"

Caius yelled out obscenities in Italian.

Demetri jumped back in pain, which made it easy for Alice to push him off, tossing him across the room.

Felix lept for me, but since he was blind, I just jumped out of the way.

"We've got to get the hell out of here," Edward said, picking Bella up, cradling her in his arms.

But I was already there, running toward the door. I knew Santiago was on the other side, and I was ready to fight him.

The guard on the other side though was not who I expected. I didn't even remember him leaving the room. He had been so quiet and innocuous, I completely forgot about him.

It was Alec.

Such a stupid colossal mistake. I could have kicked myself.

Alec immediately wrapped me up in a mist that was a total mind fuck. It was so disorienting. I couldn't see a damn thing, not even my hands, nor could I hear my own voice. Reaching out blindly, I tried to find the wall, but then I realized I couldn't feel the floor. My body turned to jelly.

I don't think I've ever been more scared shitless in my life. I felt like this disembodied thing trapped in an abyss. I couldn't even contact Feather. I was alone.

The next several minutes were a total mystery to me. I think I was being beaten, but I couldn't feel it. I sensed that my body was being tossed around. There was some kind of liquid in my mouth, and I was having trouble moving one of my arms. I don't know how long I was trapped this way, but it seemed like a long time.

When the fog was lifted, I was like a puddle on the floor, a bloody and beaten mess. A mass of searing pain hit me all of a sudden on every inch of my body, like a thousand sequins of stinging soreness reverberating through my torso, spreading out to my limbs. I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out.

Yeah, they kicked my ass. I was coughing up blood and my shoulder was dislocated. I could see Felix holding Edward, and Demetri holding Alice again.

Caius stood over me with his boot on my throat. His eyes were swollen and puffy, and venom was weeping out of one of his tear ducts. He kept blinking too, showing he was still in pain. "You dare attack me? You're nothing but an insect. I could stomp the life out of you with one kick."

Grabbing me by my good shoulder, he picked me up off the floor like a ragdoll and brought my throat to his mouth.

I grimaced and prepared for exsanguination.

But then Marcus' voice called out from somewhere. "Wait," he said, standing to his feet. "Don't kill her." There was a hint of desperation in his voice that seemed to startle Caius.

Caius turned around to face him. "What happened?"

"Whatever was disguising her bonds before is now gone," Marcus explained. "I can see everything perfectly, and we must not kill her."

Caius dropped me to the floor in a heap, and I stayed there because it hurt too much to move, my cheek pressed to the cold limestone.

Aro flited over to Marcus and took his hand to see what was going on.

I just laid there in pain.

Feather, are you there?

She didn't answer. I knew what happened to me, happened to her.

They really fucked us up, didn't they? Are you all right. Please tell me you're okay. I need you.

I tried to mentally reach out to her and finally, I found her standing amongst the breakers off the coast of California staring out at the colorful nightlights of Santa Cruz.

Are you okay?

I should be asking you that? Feather whispered.

Yeah, I'm all right. I just got my ass kicked. What else is new? Are you okay?

I just wasn't expecting that. I thought for a minute I lost you. What did they do to your arm?

It's dislocated again.

Feather let out a low hiss and then settled back inside my conscious once more. Don't worry, I'll block the mind reader. I'll give him a nasty surprise.

I had no idea what she meant by that. To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure about all of Feather's powers. She was so secretive.

However, Aro didn't walk over. He just stood there studying me and then turned to Caius. "He's right, we cannot kill her."

Caius turned away disgusted. "You better have a good reason for this."

Aro nodded and then walked over to me. "Miss Amaryllis, we need to talk." Bending over, he picked me up off the floor and set me on my feet.

But I was so wobbly I almost fell over again. If only the room would stop spinning.

"Bring her a chair," Aro commanded, and a guard instantly brought one.

Sitting there facing him, I tried to put my shoulder back in its socket, but the damn thing simply would not go back into place. It was starting to piss me off, not to mention it hurt like hell.

"Here, let me help you," Aro said impatiently, firmly taking hold of my arm, his other hand on my shoulder.

"Wait, what are you doing?" I snapped.

But he surprised me, by skillfully snapping my shoulder right back into place.

I was stunned. It practically knocked the breath out of me.

"Better?" Aro asked.

"Yeah," I grumbled, moving my arm. "Thanks." I still couldn't believe he did that.

"All right, now that I finally have your full attention," Aro said, glaring at me, bringing his hands together. "We need to talk." Gone was the sweet, overly solicitous voice that Aro used earlier. Now his tone was all business, very cold, ruthless, but oddly still polite. "I'm afraid you have created quite a dilemma, my young miss. Clearly, you are very dangerous. Indeed, you are a serious threat, and it appears that you only follow your own counsel. This must change."

Change? This did not sound good.

"Let me explain." Aro walked over to Bella and grabbed her by the hair. Not cruel, but firm, like he was grabbing a puppy by the scruff of the neck. He then walked her over to stand in front of me.

"This human is marked for death," he stated. "However, young Alice has assured me through her visions that this human will be changed and so she's insisting that no law has been broken. This gives me license to possibly let her go."

I sighed in relief.

"However, I'm going to leave this up to you. You see," he said, cocking his head. "I've noticed that this girl is the only person in the room that you truly care about. You're partial to her. You came to protect her. You did not make a move against us until she was in danger. Therefore, I believe that we can use her as leverage."

"Leverage?" I swallowed hard. Why did I get involved in this? But I already knew the answer to that. Through all my travels no human ever accepted me or welcomed me into their circle. Just this one girl. This sweet girl, who even now was shaking her head, telling me not to sacrifice myself for her. What did I have to lose? "What do you want from me?"

"Why, we want you, of course. I would think that would be evident."

"Why?"

"Because you're powerful and beautiful, little flower," Aro let Bella go, moving closer to me. "I want you to join us. I want to see what kind of vampire you'll make, and at the risk of being crude, I want you in my bed."

I almost fell off my chair. "What!" I demanded.

"You heard me," Aro chided, and then he continued. "If I could, I would bind you to us forever, but I suspect that's not possible. You have an ever-moving shield that protects you. Therefore, I must negotiate with you."

Just hearing him say that made my stomach do flip-flops. God, why was I attracted to him? He was a fucking vampire. "So you're offering Bella's life for mine."

Aro nodded.

I could see Bella shaking her head. Don't do it, not for me.

But her selflessness made me want to help her even more. "That's a cruel choice. You're offering me the life of my friend for everything I hold dear."

"I suppose that's one way to look at it."

"How about a wager. One that doesn't involve her. Just leave Bella out of this and let her go. She doesn't deserve this."

"Ah, so you want to play a game of chance." Aro shook his head. "I don't like games."

"You'll like this one," I assured him. "If I survive a week here without being turned into a vampire, then you must let me go back to America…intact." My voice was shaking.

"She's making a bet she cannot win," Caius said, eyeing me.

Aro lifted his hand. "Not necessarily," he argued. "We still do not know the full extent of her powers."

"Then lets up the stakes," I said, feeling more confident. "If you win, I will join the Volturi and pledge my eternal loyalty. I will let Chelsea bind me to you, and I will come to your bed and do whatever you ask me to do."

Just saying that made the blood rush to my head. My God, what was I saying? It was mortifying.

Aro laughed, his pupils dilating. "I must admit that does sound like an awfully inviting wager."

Caius was still not entirely satisfied though. "I will accept this wager," he said gruffly. "But I insist that she be punished. She attacked us. We cannot let this go."

This made me cringe. God only knows what kind of punishment he had in mind, but then the masochist in me was somewhat intrigued. I looked over at Bella to remind myself why I was doing this and then nodded my head.

Caius gave an evil grin and walked over to me. Very softly he said. "I expect you to come to come to my bed as well."

"Seriously?" I asked. "Is this going to be a threesome?"

"No, it won't be a threesome," Caius snapped. "Just you and me."

Shifting in my chair, letting the pain settle over my body, I glared at him. "Fine, whatever, but that's only if you manage to change me. If I survive three days without changing into a vampire, not only will you let me go, but you will also consider me a part of the supernatural realm. That way any relationships I have with vampires will not be against your rules. Along with that, I ask to be unbothered by anyone in the Volturi for the rest of my life."

Aro glanced over at Caius, who gave a nod of approval.

Marcus, however, shook his head. He definitely did not approve, and his gaze was filled with compassion. However, I didn't want his compassion. But his objection didn't seem to matter because Caius and Aro outvoted him.

"So we have a deal?" Aro asked.

I nodded.

Aro moved closer and bent over, lifting my chin. He was so close we were almost kissing. "A nod does not suffice," he commanded. "Tell me we have a deal."

"We have a d…deal," I said, my words coming out mangled. My heart was just pounding so fast, and I couldn't stop blushing. All of which seemed to make Aro just move in closer. He was eyeing my throat now, his eyes turning black.

I was almost positive he was going to bite me, but then suddenly he backed away, his hands trembling.

"Go now…" he ordered. "Make your preparations. Felix, escort them out, and then show Miss Amaryllis to her room."

"Yes, let us be done with this. Heidi will be arriving at any moment." Marcus grumbled, rising from his chair. He gave a faint smile while bowing a little. "Thank you, for your visit."

"To return the favor," Caius warned Edward and Alice. "I would advise that you follow through on your promise soon and change Bella. We do not offer second chances."

Alice nodded, ushering Edward and Bella out the door.

Bella grabbed my hand as we walked out into the hall. "You shouldn't have done that. Not for me. I feel horrible."

I squeezed her hand and gave her a hug. "Don't worry about me," I whispered. "I spent my whole life around vampires. I know what to expect."

Her eyes were filled with sadness and she kept looking back at me as she was led out the door.

I waved goodbye.

"I'll show you to your room," Demetri told me and I turned to follow him down a dark corridor.

But before I left, I saw Heidi leading a group of people toward the main hall, all of them following her in a daze.

I knew she was leading these people to their death. There were children in this group, young people, and old people. It made me sick

Living for so long in Africa and around the Congo, I had seen so much human carnage and suffering. I had seen others treat human beings like they were nothing, and I always felt so helpless to stop it. Just watching these people being led to their death infuriated me.

No more! I was going to do something. So I broke away from Demetri and ran into the crowd, waving my arms. "The east wing is on fire! You must leave the building at once. Everybody out, everybody out! Now!"

The people wasted no time dispersing, walking quickly for the door.

"Hurry," I hollered, convincing them to move faster.

Demetri came up behind me and grabbed me by the neck. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Just what it looks like," I growled.

"You're in a lot of trouble." Furious, Demetri picked me up and carried me up the stairs, and down the hall, before tossing me unceremoniously into an empty bedroom.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Wasn't that nice of Demetri, tossing me in here like a sack of shit onto a hardass floor? I'm lucky I didn't break something else. Dickhead!

Yeah, I was totally fucked. I knew it the minute I heard the key turn in the lock, imprisoning me in this elegantly decorated bedroom filled with antiques.

Looking around, I checked out my new prison. The room was kind of majestic with cream-colored paneling and gold trim. The massive, four-poster bed was carved out of cherry wood and adorned with heavy damask bedcovers in shades of dark red. Old frescos were painted on the walls and ceiling, displaying the Roman God Bacchus drinking copious amounts of wine, surrounded by half-naked women dressed in togas. In fact, I think I spotted what looked like an orgy in the background by a cluster of trees.

What the hell was this, the Volturi love nest? If it was, I didn't even want to know.

What did I get myself into?

For several minutes, I just laid there, fulminating over my predicament, banging my head against the floor. However, the rhythmic thumping did little to soothe me.

Slowly, I peeled myself off the floor. I swear every muscle in my body ached. My arm was not healing fast enough and I was pretty sure I broke a rib.

Hobbling to the bathroom, I emptied out my pockets, pulling out dozens of little paper packets of salt that I had swiped from the airport. Ezra, Lilith's surrogate father, used to always bitch about my salt stash, saying, "I swear I can't take you anywhere. You're like some bag lady stuffing crackers in your purse. Just get a big canister and be done with it." But guess what, I did have a canister. However, it was in my backpack, which was confiscated by Felix and Demetri when I first arrived. So that's why I always grabbed extra packets. Ezra just didn't understand. It was agony without salt.

To hell with Ezra, Feather hissed. He's an ass.

I murmured in agreement.

You should have never left Lilith with him.

This pissed me off. What the hell was I supposed to do? I argued. I had those assholes from the Prometheus Institute on my ass. I didn't want to endanger her. And speaking of that, where were you during this time? You didn't seem to have any problems leaving Lilith at all.

Feather didn't answer. She knew it was true.

With trembling hands, I turned on the faucet, cupping my palms together like a bowl, taking massive gulps of water, pouring it over my face and my hair. I sprinkled five packets of salt on my tongue and then I drank some more. That's what creatures like me and Featherlight needed desperately, water and salt. In fact, that's how Lemmings used to punish us. He'd have his guards shackle us in heavy chains, and stick us in a locked box out in the sun in the middle of summer. Our bodies would dry up and wither, our skin sticking to our bones. Just thinking about it made me shudder. Lemmings was a master at cruelty.

Somewhat refreshed now, I picked up all my salt packets, stuffing them back in my pockets, and started investigating the bedroom, checking the doors, the windows, moving the furniture to see what was behind it. There were decorative, metal grates over the windows, and I could easily kick them out. The thing was, it was a straight down drop to the bottom, at least five stories, which certainly wouldn't have killed me, but it sure would hurt.

Do it anyway, Feather argued. Get out of there. To hell with these vampire scum.

But that was Feather's reaction to everything. Escape! She hated to be confined in any way. Lemmings had a hell of a time trying to keep her from running free. Once he even threw her down in a holding pit, and she dug her way out. Now I know this doesn't sound like much, but this pit was thirty feet down with cement walls and stainless steel doors, and she dug her way out with her bare hands. The very tip-tops of her fingers and her fingernails were shredded. It hurt like hell. I told her I would get her out, but hell no, she wouldn't listen to me. If Feather wanted out of a place, she would find a way, even if she had to mutilate herself.

I, on the other hand, was not like that. I could wait. I believed in trying to reason with my captors, maybe negotiate. Besides, I had other reasons for staying.

Yes, you're attracted to them.

No, that's not the reason. I argued. If I leave, they'll kill Bella.

She's not your responsibility. Why are you always trying to save these humans? You can't save everybody.

Maybe not, but I can at least try to save one…if only one.

It will never be enough. At least not for you. And as the years go on, you'll just keep beating yourself up because you can't do it.

Of course, Feather was right and her words depressed me more than I liked to admit, but I'd be damned if I told her so.

I started rifling through the chest of drawers, pulling out fine linen handkerchiefs, petticoats, pink ribbons, and real silk stockings. There were these cute little sachets made from silk and lace that smelled likes roses and lavender and a porcelain jar of cobalt blue with dried up Venetian ceruse in it, an 18th-century white face make up that had lead in it.

Why the hell would a vampire need ceruse? They're already pale as death?

Who gives a crap? Get the hell out of there.

I just rolled my eyes and continued digging. I found this little miniature painting inside a gold locket and it was a picture of Aro. I just started laughing.

Yeah, what a dreamboat, Feather chided. Are you going to wear it around your neck? Maybe write 'Mrs. Amaryllis Volturi' fifty times in your notebook.

Will, you shut up! I'm trying to learn things about my captors. Besides…so what if I'm a little attracted to them.

So what? Really? They're murderous vampires. I thought you despised vampires.

I did.

I do!

That's why it bothered me so much. Why was I so drawn to them? I even hesitated a little before I blinded them with the ice. A little voice inside of me said, don't hurt them. But I wanted to hurt them. I wanted to get the hell out of there. Yet I hesitated. What the hell was wrong with me?

At least Feather shut up. She knew when she was getting on my nerves. The others from the lab always used to talk about Featherlight being like an angel. She was a mute, so they seemed to think her silence meant she agreed with them on everything. But I knew better.

Walking over to the vanity, I sat down and started opening drawers. There were all kinds of cool things in there, little porcelain trinket boxes, gold thimbles, and ornate opera glasses. I found an old comb and brush set made of silver and an elaborate high-backed Spanish comb made with mother of pearl, which I jokingly tried to use, pulling up my mop of long dark hair, piling it on my head.

But then I caught my reflection in the beveled mirror. There was a nasty purple bruise on my forehead which was already healing. The image made me think of all the times Lemmings would sit me in front of a mirror and then hit me in the face over and over again with his vampire strength to see how quickly my face could be restored.

"Just one more," he'd soothe. "I must see if the cheekbone will move back into place."

I was just a little girl, crying and begging for him to stop. Lemmings had no mercy though. Just thinking about it made me ill, and playing dress-up lost its appeal. Grimly, I set the Spanish comb back down on the dresser.

The next drawer, I hit the jackpot. I found an old First Aid kit, complete with bandages and antibiotic cream. But there was something else in there that made Feather gasp with envy - a thermometer. The old kind of thermometer with mercury in it. They really didn't make these that much anymore. In fact, Washington State had outlawed them.

I remember in the old days, Feather and I used to break into hospitals, grabbing every thermometer we could find, carrying them home with us like a secret treasure. We'd break them in half and then pour the Quicksilver into a glass test tube. We'd then get a flame torch and heat the mercury to make it boil. What we wanted was the mercury vapor. An intoxicating substance that brought a mired of amusements and surprisingly more power. A toxic substance that could kill humans, but was ambrosia to me and Feather.

Pulling the thermometer out of its case, I gazed at it, shaking it a little to see the mercury glide over the glass. It had been so long since I last used Quicksilver. Part of my reluctance was that I was inebriated with the stuff when I killed Lemmings. I don't even remember exactly how I did it. I just remember being in a blind rage.

Yet, this wouldn't stop me from making mercury vapor now if I could. Battling with three very old and authoritarian vampires meant I needed all the power I could get. But since I didn't have the right equipment, I decided to stash my little thermometer in the bookcase, hiding it behind La Divina Commedia by Dante Alighieri.

Speaking about the three kings, where the hell were they? I would have figured they would be out for blood after scaring their dinner away. Yet I hadn't heard a peep out of them for almost two hours.

I couldn't quite figure them out. Their hilarious request to place me in their bed, still made me laugh and blush all at the same time. You guys don't want me as a lover. I'm a possessive monster of a girlfriend.

This was probably why I was still single. Not to mention all the trust issues I had. In fact, I had given up on men. I had mister dildo and my imagination and that was all I needed, right?

Yet I was attracted to these three kings, and I really didn't understand why. First, there was Aro, who was manipulative, sadistic, and power-hungry. Caius was an endless vat of rage who relished in his cruelty, and then there was Marcus who I hated because I felt sorry for him. The fact that emptiness and apathy were his main traits was devastating. He must've lost someone dear to him. In truth though, he wasn't any better than Aro and Caius, because he held no respect for human life.

My old psychiatrist, Dr. Kotov would probably say I was attracted to them because they reminded me of Lemmings. She'd explain that I was subconsciously still trying to win parental love by finding lovers who were like my surrogate father, and it wouldn't surprise me if this was true. I admit it, I have issues.

They remind you of Lemmings? Feather asked incredulously.

I don't know, I said with a shrug. They're vampires.

They're nothing like Lemmings. He was filth. She made a sound like she was spitting on the floor.

Feather's response surprised me. Could she possibly be softening towards the Volturi? What do you think they're going to do? They've got to know that I have a strategy for not being changed into a vampire.

Feather seemed to consider this. They probably think because you can control water, you can control blood too. Therefore, conceivably, you could just push the venom out.

That means they wouldn't necessarily know I'm immune.

Yes, that's always possible. I wouldn't count on it though. I'm sure they were aware of at least some of Lemmings' experiments.

I'll just have to make it a point not to mention the doctor's name.

I think that would be wise.

I heard a faint footfall in the hall and the soft sound of rustling fabric. There was a firm knock on my door. I sat there on the bed with my eyes widening in fear. I guess it was showtime. "Come in," I said softly.

The heavy door opened to reveal the three kings.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I felt like was on display, like an art exhibit or something.

The three Volturi Lords glided into the room and surrounded me as I sat on the bed, their beauty and grace somewhat hard to ignore.

Aro was an enigma, his emotions hidden from view. Marcus eyed me with curiosity, but Caius was clearly furious, glaring at me with icy rage. Was he always this pissed off, or was it just me that brought it out in him?

Their imperious presence unnerved me. I wasn't really ready for this.

Aro approached me first, tilting his head in concern. "Ah my dear little flower," he murmured, his fingers gently brushing my cheek. He then grazed the bump on my forehead with the side of his hand. "You do not look well. I fear our guards may have been a little too rough with you."

I might have believed he was actually worried, but his concern didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, what else is new?" I retorted.

Aro tsked, and shook his head, wagging his finger at me. "No, no, no, this will not do. This tone of defiance of yours is unacceptable. You _will_ show us proper deference, or you will be whipped. It's as simple as that. Do you understand?" The last part he said with a curt tone, his voice low. His eyes narrowed, and he used one hand to lift up my chin so I was forced to look at his gorgeous face. "Do we need to teach you manners, my dear?"

I got a distinct impression that while this scenario was something Caius probably relished, Aro was not quite so sadistic. Aro just wanted power, and he wanted to bend me to his will.

I cursed myself mentally for blushing, while my mind went off on a tangent, envisioning wild discipline sex with my supposedly new master. I was so relieved he couldn't read my mind. Yet he was waiting for a response. Part of me wanted to tell him he could shove his _deference_ up his authoritarian ass, but then I remembered that I needed to negotiate. _Remember Bella_.

"No, that won't be necessary," I replied, saying my words in a subservient tone, bowing my head.

This seemed to please him, and he looked me up and down. "Ah, very good," he mused. "Maybe there is hope for you."

_No there isn't_, Feather murmured. _They've never seen your bat-shit crazy temper._

_Shut up, Feather._ Trying to ignore her, I kept my gaze on Aro.

Aro took a step back and brought his hands together. "My dear, since you have entrusted yourself into our care, and are now a ward of the Volturi, we need to assess your injuries. Therefore, I must ask you to remove your upper garment."

I blinked in surprise. "What?"

"You heard me," Aro replied. "I will not repeat myself."

"Do as you're told, girl. Remove your blouse," Caius grumbled. "Or would you like us to remove it for you?"

This command sort of took me by surprise. Although it shouldn't have. Vampires had made this kind of request of me before. They liked to have their dinner served up naked and in their bed. I think with the Volturi though, they were just making a power play.

"Have no fear, Miss Amaryllis," Marcus said with a calming voice. "Our intention is not to defile you."

"Fine, whatever," I grumbled, slipping my yellow top over my head. Underneath I was wearing a yellow sports bra with little bees and honeycombs on it. I loved yellow, although it probably wasn't my best color.

Aro seemed amused by my bra choice, chuckling. "You're certainly are not afraid of color, are you?" Taking a step toward me, he ordered me to lay back on the bed, which I did, stretching out, placing my head on the pillow.

Aro then proceeded to examine me. "How very curious," he noted, placing his hand on my shoulder, feeling the bone. "You're almost healed and this just happened a few hours ago." He then knelt down with one hand on the bed while the other one gently grazed the purple and blotchy skin right under my right breast where my rib had been broken.

I winced slightly in response. My legs tensed together and it became hard to breathe. He smelled so heavenly. His body had mine trapped and I couldn't stop my eyes from resting on his lips. Every thought I had was flying away from me, being replaced by dark desires.

"Extraordinary," Aro said, "You heal much faster than humans."

I nodded.

"I have a question," Marcus said, bending over me. His fingers pointed to one of the several, long, thin, pink scars that ran up and down my torso. "These marks on your body are very puzzling. What happened? Who did this to you?"

Who did this, he asked? Why it was Lemmings, of course. The good doctor sliced all my pectoral fins off. I remember waking up and finding them gone. 'You need to look human,' he told me. I sort of just accepted it. However, Feather was devastated. She never wanted to look more human. But then she was always more unhuman than me. I wasn't about to tell Marcus that though, despite his deep look of compassion. In some ways, I felt like Marcus was the only one who truly saw me, but I didn't want him to see me. It felt too intimate, too personal.

"They're just birthmarks," I told him.

Marcus frowned, eyeing me skeptically. "They don't look like birthmarks. They look like surgical scars."

"I had them removed," I said with a shrug. "They were unsightly."

Marcus cocked his head. "More unsightly than the scars themselves?" Clearly, he didn't believe me, but he let it drop, which made Aro shake his head.

"You're not very forthcoming, are you?" Aro said. "I am patient though. I'm sure everything will be revealed in good time. I think we should have a little chat though."

I wasn't quite sure what he meant by that, but then he started to get onto the bed with me.

_What the hell is he doing?_ Feather shrieked.

_I have no idea. _

My body started to tense up and blood started racing to my head.

Aro gracefully shifted his body onto mine, straddling my hips until he was comfortably sitting on top of me. "Isn't this better?" he said, the fingers on his left hand lightly running over my bare arm.

His touch was so delicate, it made the hair on my arms stand on it. I was holding my breath and didn't realize it until I had to exhale.

"Uh, Aro…what are you doing?"

"That's _Master_ to you," Caius snapped, which completely threw me off.

Did I really have to call him master? No that's stupid. "Uh, Master, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"My dear little flower, what did I say about showing proper deference?" Aro smiled, but his eyes narrowed.

"Uh, right." I was starting to feel distinctly uncomfortable. That's probably why Aro did it. He liked invading people's space. It was his way of showing that he was in charge, and while I normally would have thrown him off and kicked him to the curb, his dark sensuality was playing games with me, causing a flush of sensations that tingled all through my body all the way down to my core.

Aro seemed to sense it too, gently touching my cheek, smiling. He then ran the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip, which, I took as a blatant mark of possession.

I did not belong to him yet.

"Now, isn't this much better?" Aro soothed. "I thought if I removed some of the space between us, this would make our chat just a little more personal, you know, more intimate."

"Umm…not really, I'm-"

He pressed his fingers to my lips. "It's all right, my dear. You don't have to answer. _I understand_. I do have one question for you though. I was wondering, does food speed up the healing process for you?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess." I stammered. I was totally tongue-tied. He had completely _flummoxed_ me. Hell, I don't even use that word. Does anybody? But it fit. I kept thinking about how his crotch, which was comfortably resting on my pelvis. I could even feel a slight bulge in his pants. My fingers started to clench the bedcovers because I had no idea what to do with them.

"My dear, you seem to be distracted. Pay attention," he commanded.

Huh?

"Very good." Aro brought his hands together. "You know, blood helps vampires to heal faster too. Indeed, going without sustenance is quite excruciating and unpleasant for us. We try to dine as little as possible because the cost of human life is so high. Consequently, the hours that lead up to our feeding period is quite painful. I would describe it as being like a human trapped underwater, gasping for air. I'm sure you can imagine. When you first go under, you're fine. You don't need air because you've just taken a breath, but then after a couple of minutes, it becomes dire."

His last sentence had a bit of bite to it that worried me. I knew he was pissed at me for chasing off his dinner. They all were. I could see his body tightening up, and I became more and more uncomfortable, especially when he caressed my cheek.

"Yes, it's very unpleasant," he soothed. "Here, let me show you." With a blur of motion, Aro placed his hand over my nose and mouth. He then proceeded to smother me.

My eyes flew open. I started to panic, beating him with my fists, my legs trying to throw him off. But he was so ridiculously strong, and I was still so weak from the beating I took earlier. Usually, I could take a vampire on, and match their strength, but I couldn't get him off me. I started tearing at his clothes, the bedcovers, everything. I reached for his throat, but he just knocked my hand away.

Feather was screaming at him._ Let her go! _ _Let her go, you filthy vicious parasite! I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you!_

I think Aro heard her because his eyes suddenly filled with confusion. But it didn't stop his hold on me.

Frantically struggling, I hit him as hard as I could. I know I hurt him, but he didn't budge. He just grabbed my wrist with his free hand and snapped it. He knew exactly how to keep me pinned down. He was relentless, snuffing the life out of me. My eyes filled up with tears and the room started to spin. Everything went dark. I passed out.

When I came too, he was no longer on top of me. I was gasping for air and my wrist hurt like hell. The bed was in tatters. There was mattress stuffing everywhere and the bed frame had broken, tilting to one side. I looked over at my wrist and it was twisted and already starting to swell.

"Aro, I think you were too rough with her," Marcus complained.

"She must learn to behave," Aro said resolutely. "If she doesn't, we will have to terminate her, which is something I would rather not do."

"Personally I don't think you were rough enough," Caius said in spiteful anger. "You should let me punish her." Caius bent over and got in my face. He was godlike in his power and beauty. "You think you're so clever, girl, don't you, blinding us and then trying to starve us. I will make sure you pay for this. I don't care if you're my mate or not."

"Mate?" I gasped. "What the hell are you talking about?

"I don't quite believe it myself," he growled

Neither did I. There was no fucking way! I have to admit though, I didn't think I'd ever get used to how terrifying and arousing he was…oh wait... what? Oh my god, did I like pissing him off? What the hell was going on? Was there some secret power they had, or something that Alice didn't tell me about that made me a horn dog? This was unreal.

"Caius, please," Aro said disgustedly, pulling him away. "Stop raging at her. That's no way to subdue a wild girl."

To my surprise, this worked. Caius grumbled and stepped away.

Clearly, Aro was the one truly in charge.

I glanced over at him, and he was a mess. His clothes were shredded and his hair was all over the place. What was funny though was that it seemed to bother him. He didn't like that his clothes were in disarray. He glanced over at me and his expression was grave.

He came and sat down on the bed next to me. "Little flower," he warned. "Don't ever pull a stunt like that again with our blood supply. It's not a joking matter." Gently, he clasped my good hand, meaning the one that wasn't broken. "Don't make me punish you again."

I glared at him. Next time I won't be so weak, I decided. You were just lucky, Aro. Next time, I'll really hurt you. But I nodded my head and gave him my best innocent look bunny look.

Evidently, it didn't work, because Aro just laughed. "Still defiant, eh? What a spitfire you are. I think I shall enjoy taming you."

I suspected I might enjoy it as well. I kept thinking about how he held me down on the bed, his legs straddling me. Aro was a lot scrappier than I originally thought. "Maybe I'll be the one to tame you," I said in a low voice.

Aro laughed again. "Such a naughty girl." He then bent over and whispered in my ear. "Just wait till I get you alone." With that he kissed my hand and stood up, still trying to fix his clothes. "Well, I think this was productive."

"I don't," Caius grumbled. "I think she needs to be punished some more."

"Yes, I agree. I think a few days without food will suffice," Aro said, glancing over at me. "Until we change her." He looked over at Caius and Marcus. "Can we agree on that?"

Caius opened his mouth in what seemed to be a protest, but then Marcus walked up, which made him clench his jaw closed.

"Yes, that is sufficient," Marcus grumbled, glaring at Caius. "I will not see her harmed anymore."

"Then it's settled," Aro said, bringing his hands together. He turned to me. "I will have a doctor come and set your wrist."

But Marcus shook his head. "Don't bother. I will set her wrist, and since the bed has been destroyed, I will be moving her to the Green Room."

Aro's eyes widened in surprise, but Marcus ignored him.

Then to my shock, Marcus came over and gently picked me up, cradling me in his arms.

I was mesmerized, looking up into his sorrowful features. They each could be gods I swear. Marcus's touch was so comforting I found myself leaning against his chest, fighting the urge to hug him.

"If you could hold the door," Marcus commanded, and Aro opened the door for him, the baffled look on his face priceless.

Gracefully, Marcus carried me down the hall like I was a precious bundle.

A part of me panicked a little. Not because I thought Marcus would hurt me. I just didn't want to lose the precious mercury thermometer I had hidden in the bookcase.

"Is everything all right, Amaryllis?" Marcus asked.

"Yeah, it's fine," I said, trying to embed in my memory exactly how to get back.

The room he took me too was actually a little smaller than the other one, but it was prettier. It was a corner room with three massive windows draped with chartreuse-colored sheers that bathed the room in soft green light. The four-poster bed had a dark mahogany frame, and on top of the mattress were several throw pillows and a green brocade duvet. But the most magnificent part of the room was the fireplace. Made of green marble, it took up the whole corner and had an elaborate mantel, held up by Corinthian columns.

"This is my favorite room in the castle," Marcus told me, setting me down on the bed.

I looked around in awe. On the far wall, was a painting of a beautiful, dark-haired woman dressed in green who strangely resembled Aro.

"Let me set your hand," Marcus said, grabbing a washrag and a towel from the bathroom. Pulling out a large first aid kit from one of the cabinets, he pulled out a splint.

"Why would the Volturi need first aid kits?" I asked.

"You'd be surprised. Every once in awhile, we have to repair a human."

Gently, he slipped my wrist back into place and then cleaned and wrapped the injury. He then fit the splint over my hand and placed my arm in a sling around my neck. "You must keep your hand above your heart."

"Don't worry, it will be healed by tomorrow," I told him.

Marcus eyed me like he wanted to ask me something, but he let it go. "I will have the servants bring you some clothes." But then he paused. "No I guess I won't, we don't have any servants. I will have Renata bring you some clothes."

"What happened to your servants?"

Marcus gave me a dark look. "We had to get our blood somewhere. Aro wasn't being hyperbolic when he told you the need for blood was dire."

I didn't quite know what to say. "Sorry," I said weakly.

Marcus shook his head. "Clearly, you're not, but I'll pretend you're contrite. Is there anything else you need?"

"Could I get my backpack?"

"Of course." Standing up, Marcus bowed. "Until tomorrow, Miss Amaryllis."

"Until tomorrow," I said awkwardly.

Cordially he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. I could hear the key turning in the lock.

Minutes later, Renata came in with several fancy gowns, at least way too fancy for me, which she hung up in the closet. Plus some lacy underwear, bras, and camisoles in shades of black and red, which she set on the bed, and a pair of silk red pajamas.

She also brought my pack back, but I waited for her to leave before I opened it up. After a few minutes, I decided to take a bath.

The bathroom was extravagant with polished floors, marble sinks, gold faucets and a green marble bathtub with clawed feet. An array of lovely smelling soaps and shampoos were set out on the shelf along with two big, black, fluffy towels.

I removed the sling, slipped out of my clothes, and turned the water on, letting the tub fill up until the whole bathroom was steamy. I then emptied half a canister of salt from my backpack into the water and lowered myself in. This is what would truly heal me. This is what I truly needed.

Leaning my head back, I closed my eyes.

As always, I went to where Featherlight was. Through the one eye that we shared, I could see it was a little bit before dawn in Santa Cruz.

_Are you all right?_ Feather asked.

_Yes_, I replied. _I think Aro heard you._

_It didn't stop him. _

_I just don't want them to find out about you. I don't want to put you in danger._

_I know._

Featherlight walked out of the ocean up onto the shore. She had a big sloppy sundress she always wore that was a washed-out, indigo blue with little suns and moons on it and a big broom skirt. It clung to her skin, but she peeled the soft cotton away and then twisted it into a knot, wringing out the saltwater. She then headed up toward the fairground, walking in her bare feet over the cool sand.

I knew exactly where she was going. Feather was a pickpocket and a vagrant, stealing pretty trinkets, reading newspapers and magazines that people left sitting around. She was extraordinarily beautiful, much prettier than me, so men would buy her breakfast even though she was mute.

I think Feather considered herself carefree, but there was an air of melancholy about her that she could never shake away. She never wanted to be human, but that's what Lemmings made her. She tended to wander around listlessly through the ocean never going anywhere important, never meeting new people and never finding a home.

Her meandering journey took her deep into the dark depths of the ocean. Everything was so still and silent down there. It was kind of spooky; a shadowy lullaby that lulled me to sleep. In fact, if I could have breathed oxygen in the water as she did, I might have joined her. But since I couldn't, I just wanted her to return home to me.

.

_There is a silence where hath been no sound,_  
_There is a silence where no sound may be,_  
_In a cold grave -under the deep, deep sea_

Thomas Hood _\- **Silence**_

.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning, I woke up to find myself still partially submerged in the bathtub. This actually happened somewhat frequently, because if I was injured, it was the fastest way to heal. At least my wrist and my shoulder were no longer messed up. I still felt like shit though, and of course, the water was cold, so I immediately jumped out and wrapped myself up in fluffy towels.

Back when I lived in Montana, we had this dinky little house in the middle of nowhere, and the place had to be at least a hundred years old. There was no insulation in the walls, just horsehair and sand. You could hear mice scurrying around beneath the plaster. This made the place like an icebox in the winter. I'd sometimes wake up in the tub to a thin layer of ice on the water's surface. One time as a joke, Lilith dumped fifty boxes of lime Jell-O in the tub after I had fallen asleep. I woke up jelled. I could hear Lilith laughing, hiding away somewhere. I yelled at Ezra as I walked out to the living room, still pulling globs of green Jell-O from my hair. "Did you tell her to do this?"

Ezra didn't even lookup. He was sprawled out half-asleep on the sofa, while Maria knelt beside him slitting his wrist with a razor blade so she could drink his blood. He let her too, which always surprised me, because back in Africa, no vampire would dare touch him, including Lemmings. Yet Ezra had a soft spot for Maria, maybe because she was only a hybrid.

"You know Lilly," Ezra said in his deceptively soft voice. "She thinks up this shit all on her own. She's devious."

Yes, Lilith was devious. To think she saved up her allowance to buy a boatload of Jell-O just for a joke, simply amazed me. She was also very smart, not book smart, but a crafty and perceptive, sneaky kind of smart that made me always wonder what she was thinking. I know she got it from Ezra because let's face it, I was an open book, and Ezra…well, he wasn't.

I loved my devious daughter though. I missed her.

You should go get her, Feather told me, and I seriously contemplated it every day. I just kept thinking about what Ezra told me. He said with my blood being the way that it was, I was a vampire magnet. Even a hundred fifty miles out, they'd catch my scent and since the Prometheus Institute was now using vampire trackers, I was easy to spot. I would be putting Lilith in danger. So I left.

A part of me died though when I left.

Drying myself off, I put on a t-shirt and jeans, brushing out my hair. I spent the next hour investigating the room, opening drawers and moving furniture. There was some notepaper, so I spent an hour or so doodling a picture of Aro, somewhat abstract, trying to capture his insane gaze and knowing smirk. It was kind of cute. "You're a psycho, Aro. You know that though, don't you?"

That's why you're attracted to him, Feather whispered.

Crumpling up the drawing I threw it in the trash.

Later in the day, I started to get restless and very hungry, pacing the room. Weren't they supposed to come beat me or something? Yet nothing happened. It was so boring, and my stomach was growling. I started looking for books to read, but practically everything was in Italian. I did find a few books in French though, one of them being L'Homme qui rit or The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo.

I love that book, Feather said.

Yeah, but doesn't it have a sad ending?

Yes, but you get to immerse yourself with the character of Gwynplaine. I adore him. If he were real, I would search the world to find him and then hold him in my arms.

That was high praise coming from Feather. So I laid down on the bed and started reading chapter one. Hugo can be somewhat longwinded, but it didn't take me long to see why Feather adored Gwynplaine. He was a character who face was sliced and mutilated into a perpetual grin by gypsy comprachicos when he was just a boy. He was a manufactured circus freak like us. I almost was afraid to finish the book for I loved Gwynplaine as well, and I didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

Day two was mostly full of the same thing. I paced, I doodled, and I read some more until about midday when a soft knock on the door drew my attention. After a couple of seconds, a stunningly beautiful vampire walked in. She was wearing a tight red, strapless dress that showed off her breasts and legs, and her long black hair was pinned to her head with curls coming down around one side of her shoulder. Her black heels gave her a couple of inches on me. Looking me up and down, she made a slightly disapproving face.

"You have ten minutes to dress appropriately," she said condescendingly.

Clearly, fetching a human captive was far beneath her.

I disliked her as soon as she waltzed in, but then I disliked most vampires, especially ones like her where superiority was a key trait. "Where am I going?"

"You'll see," she said snootily, rolling her eyes impatiently.

"Who will I be seeing?" I cut her off before she could make a snarky replay. "I swear to God if you don't give me a straight answer, I'll smack all that pretty makeup off your face." I was in no mood to freaking deal with this right now.

Her eyes narrowed into slits and in a blur of motion, she grabbed me by the throat and slammed me against the wall, her fingers choking me.

In return, I went for her throat, my sharp fingernails penetrating her crystalized skin, digging into her esophagus. I then wrapped my fingers around her larynx.

Her eyes widened in shock. Obviously, she wasn't expecting this at all. In fact, I'm convinced she was thinking of browbeating me, but instead, we had this little Mexican stand-off going with each of us grabbing the other by the throat. I knew it was highly unlikely that she would rip off my head. Vampires hate to waste blood and the Kings would be displeased.

"Twenty dollars," I said hoarsely, coughing due to the pressure on my throat.

She stared at me in confusion.

"Twenty dollars says I'll rip your fucking voice out and crush into to dust before you can snap my neck." I glared at her to show her I meant it, my fingers tightening.

She seemed to know it too, but she hesitated, probably pondering how Aro and Caius would react if she seriously hurt me.

Reluctantly she let me go, and I pulled my hand out of her throat leaving her larynx intact.

Immediately, she ran to the mirror to make sure her throat repaired itself.

"Who will I be seeing?" I repeated.

It took her a minute for her to get her voice back but she finally answered me. "You will be seeing Master Marcus," she said with gritted teeth.

I went into the bathroom and ran a brush through my hair and then walked back into the bedroom. "Let's go," I said, standing before her in my bare feet, my frayed jeans, and my Seattle Seahawks t-shirt.

She looked at me aghast. "That is not proper attire," she snapped, and she said it with so much reverence, I almost laughed.

"I don't care," I replied, and I didn't. I wasn't one of their guards or their servants. I'll wear whatever the hell I want.

She put her hands on her hips than shook her head. "Fine, don't look your best for him. I hope you realize how disrespectful you are."

This actually made me think twice. Not because I was intimidated, but because a tiny part of me wanted to look nice for Marcus. But I wasn't about to give in.

"Follow me," she said patronizingly and walked out with a fast pace.

I figured she wanted me to chase after her, but I didn't even bother trying to keep up. I just watched her go down the hall, her high heels clicking over the polished limestone floor, and then turn the corner. A couple of minutes later she came back. "You are on my last nerve."

I laughed. "You must be the low vampire on the totem pole to be stuck taking care of me."

This really ticked her off. "How dare you? Who do you think you are? You caused a situation where we had to eliminate our staff due to your prima donna tendencies, and now you have the gall to show us contempt, dressing like a street person." She shot me a dirty look that successfully got under my skin.

"You really need to stop talking," I warned, "because I'm starting to regret not tearing your throat out when I had the chance."

Furiously, she spun around.

I ignored her venomous glare and continued to follow as she worked her way through the maze-like halls. After what felt like hours of tense silence, she stopped abruptly.

"Go to the end of the hall then go right- it's the third door down. May I say that you deserve whatever cruel thing they have in store for you?"

To her annoyance, I just shrugged.

When I turned down the long hallway, the polished floor turned into red carpet and there were massive paintings of vampires in different period garb hanging from the walls. I saw a blood-red door with an intricately-designed 'C' inscribed on it in black and gold.

Seriously, they monogram their doors? Feather murmured.

Obviously, they did.

Dear God, were these the king's private chambers? I wasn't expecting Marcus to rape and kill me, but I did feel more than a little uncomfortable. To be honest, it seemed odd to think of any them having a sexual attraction to me. I mean hello? I'm not society's vision of beauty by any means. At least not like the secretary I saw yesterday. I assumed their interest had to be my specialized blood, but with what Caius said yesterday, I really wasn't sure. There's no way I could be his mate.

Trudging down the hallway, I looked over the paintings, some of them were really macabre with pictures of vampires feasting, but then I spotted one that took my breath away. That's because one of the people standing in the background was none other than Dr. Lemmings. Caius and Aro were in there too. They were standing in a great hall, and there was this massive upright aquarium. It sort of reminded me of Houdini's Water Torture Cell, and in the aquarium was what looked like a mermaid. Only she wasn't like the beautiful mermaids you see in children's stories. No, she was vicious-looking with dark greenish hair and skin that looked like smoke. Her face was somewhat amphibian, and she had a full set of teeth that looked like it could tear somebody apart. Her neck had a surgical scar on it as if something had been removed and I had a pretty good idea what that was.

"Ah, Miss Amaryllis, are you an admirer of great art?" A voice said behind me, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Aro placed his hands on my shoulders. "Oh my dear, please forgive me, I did not mean frighten you," he said, turning me to face him.

My eyes drank him in while I held my breath. He wore only a black button-up and slacks that highlighted his nearly translucent skin.

His smile widened. "You're certainly transfixed by that painting."

"Yeah, I guess I was," I mumbled. Just being this close to him made my heart race. "Is it real?" I asked breathlessly, lamely pointing back at the painting. "I mean, was there really a mermaid?"

"Why yes," Aro replied. "It's really quite extraordinary. Dr. Baltazár Lemmings brought us that specimen. He was a genius, you know. He discovered that merfolk are practically immortal because they have such accelerated healing capabilities. He had this idea of mixing their DNA with that of humans, with the hope that this would create an immortal food supply for vampires."

I didn't know what to say, but I had to say something. "Did he succeed?" I asked, fully knowing the answer.

"Yes, he did."

"What happened to him?" My hands were trembling now and I desperately did not want him to see, so I tried to keep my expression neutral. It was so hard though. His eyes were so compelling. Did he know who I was?

Aro chuckled. "Well, you know how it is. You should never play God. I warned Baltazár, but he ignored me. His creations turned on him and slaughtered him."

"What happened to his creations?"

Aro shrugged. "Who knows? They scattered to the winds," he said with a wave of his hand. "The remaining members of the Prometheus Institute are still desperately trying to find them. A few have been neutralized, but some of the most dangerous ones are still missing. It's quite a problem. What could Baltazár have been thinking, making creatures more powerful than himself?"

I knew what Lemmings was thinking. He thought we would always obey him. Of course, I couldn't tell Aro that. In fact, I desperately wanted to get out of there. Fortunately, Aro seemed oblivious to my deception.

Standing there, I tried to come up with something intelligent to say in response. Unfortunately, Aro's scent was driving me crazy. Why did vampires always have to smell so heavenly? It wasn't fair. Not to mention, he kept moving toward me in a predatory manner, which made me keep stepping back until he backed me into the wall. It was so unnerving. I was almost stumbling over my words, but yet he turned me on so bad. "Was this Lemmings guy a friend of yours?" I stammered.

Aro chuckled. "Absolutely not. Baltazár was a thoroughly unscrupulous individual. He'd murder his mother if it benefited him, and in fact, I think he did exactly that. Enough about him though," Aro said, pulling me into his arms. "I think we need to get to know each other better, don't you?"

"Well, I…," I mumbled

Aro cocked his head, his eyes narrowing as he examined my throat. "Did something happen to your neck? It looks all red and blotchy. Did Sophia injure you?"

So that was the bitchy vampire's name. "No," I lied.

His eyes studied me. "I take it I will have to find out this information from Sophia."

"Do you have to know everything?"

"Yes I do," he replied, and then to my complete and total shock he kissed me. It wasn't a normal kiss either. It was a kiss of possession.

My body melted into him, and the room started to spin. I was tingling all over from my fingers to my toes. My hands made their way down his spine, feeling the lean muscles in his back, Leaning into him, I heard him chuckle. "Ah my lovely flower, you have no idea how much I desire you." He then turned me and dipped my body backward, almost lifting me off my feet. I felt like I was being upended, and I found myself giving up control. It was a terrifying feeling, like a giant wave pulling me under. His kisses were so powerful and passionate.

Slowly, he moved down to my throat, and then lightly bit my neck, which made me jump.

When he pulled away, he was smiling, setting me back on my feet. "Darling, let us go to my bedroom, and I'll remove those hideous clothes you're wearing." He pointed toward a black door with a golden designed 'A' on the front.

I almost said yes. Seriously, I was that far gone, but then I remembered, I must keep a clear head. "I've been summoned by Marcus," I said weakly.

Aro frowned. "Really?"

I nodded.

"That is unfortunate. I was hoping to be the first to get you alone. Ah well…" he backed away and offered his arm, "I shall escort you to my brother. It's the least I can do."

I froze for a moment which seemed to displease him.

"Are you refusing my hospitality?" His voice held an edge and his eyes gave a deadly warning. "Ah, I get it. Marcus is your favorite. Maybe you're going to offer to warm his bed in exchange for a meal? I didn't expect you…"

Before he could finish, I took his arm and leaned my weight against him. "What is it with everyone grating on my nerves today? The only reason I paused was that I was surprised. You strangle me one day and then kiss me the next. What the hell am I supposed to think?"

"Ah, still sulking over your punishment, eh? You know if you just behave, you won't have that problem."

"Whatever," I grumbled, pulling away from him, but then he pulled me back.

"Oh, no, I have you now and I have no intention of letting you go." Holding me in his arms, he now was laughing. At first, I shot daggers at him, but his smile seemed so genuine at that moment that I was dumbstruck. It was hard to stay mad after that.

"Don't you know it has taken every ounce of my power to not throw you on my bed?" Aro said sweetly. "Your scent is intoxicating, and to think that you're going to use those charms to seduce Marcus irritates me to no end."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't you think if I was planning to seduce Marcus I would have dressed the part?" I told him, pointing to my shabby clothes.

"Yes, why aren't you dressed properly? I had all kinds of beautiful dresses delivered to your room." He looked at me somewhat nonplused, as if I was a complete and total mystery. Don't women like beautiful clothes he seemed to be asking?

Sorry, Aro, I'm not one of your little glamor pusses. I didn't tell him that though. I liked confounding him.

After a second or two, he sighed. "I suppose it's probably a good thing. If you were dressed to the nine, I don't believe I would've let you get past my room."

I tried very hard to not show how his words affected me, but I felt him tense slightly.

Giving me a brilliant smile, Aro held out his arm and I took it. "Very well, I will take you to my brother. I think there may be hope for you yet."


End file.
